LBM Direct Marketing Complaints and Correspondence: June 2007

This page represent some of the emails we've received about LBM Direct Marketing, almost all of which are complaints. You can read the full story here.

7/6/07

• "P" says:
  Thanks for the info - I've rung the number at LBM to have my number removed from the system - we'll see. In the meantime, I am extremely interested by the two emails you've had in support of LBM and it's extremely diffcult to imagine that anyone not directly connected in some way would want to offer their support. What I'd like is for somebody find a good explanation that convinces me that someone ringing my mobile eleven times in the last 6 days only for there to be no-one there when I answer it is a good thing. Anyone? 

11/6/07

•  "R" gets a call from what appears to be LBM on behalf of O2:
  I received a suspect and very pushy call today from an otherwise
  charming-sounding Irish guy. I declined to commit to any of o2's
  'money-saving offers' and googled the source phone number's dialling and
  local codes with the word 'o2'. I was glad to find a resource such as your
  site with details of how to unsubscribe from the company's calling list.
  
  Businesses such as this direct marketing company really are a drain on the
  economy! N.B. The particular number was 0800 064 1087. Thanks! 

12/6/07

• "M" strikes back at LBM:
  Like dozens of other folk, I accidentally found your site when I decided to search for the mysterious 0800 that had been calling me repeatedly for the past few weeks.
  
  Rather than call the bastards back, I've instead sent an email to their enquiry desk via their website, advising them that I would be emailing them several times each day until I receive written confirmation I will not be contacted anymore, or I will be contacting OFCOM with a list of dates and times of their calls.
  
  oooh, and I've just noticed that you've included their email address on their site... super!  

14/6/07

• Another "M" goes to some lengths to get LBM to stop calling:
  Thank you for your website. I was getting calls from LBM’s 08080000144 number, twice a day and it was driving me nuts. I followed your advice and telephoned Khurram Akram, LBM's Compliance Manager and complained to the DMA.
  
  Mr Khurram Akram, telephoned me back to apologise and said that my number will be put on the “DO NOT CALL TABLE” so that I do not receive any marketing calls.
  
  I’m happy with that and fingers crossed I should not get bothered again.
  
  Why can’t the government change the rules about marketing in this way? Why not make it an offence to market by telephone to you without your prior consent?
  
  Thanks again, you are my saviour! 

19/7/07

• "G" is fed up with the whole thing:
  Ive got that fed up with it I no longer answer the phone, I wait for the phone call to end and then dial 1471 to see who it is. I have an answer machine so if anything is that important someone can leave a message but I also do this because Ive been called by my bank and others and they all (I believe) withhold their telephone numbers, you just don't know who you are talking to. 

23/6/07

• An anonymous former employee of LBM speaks up for them. It should be noted that we have received several other communications from ex-LBM employees that we have not published because of the nature of the allegations. This particular email was quite long, so this has been edited:
  I am an Ex-LBM employee and quite highly resent the implictions about the
  business on your website.
  
  I know for a fact that LBM has some highly concientious and professional
  people working within it (I was one of them!) who strive constantly to
  ensure that all their activity is legal and compliant with the laws of the
  land. Yes, technology can let them down. Yes, there are other members of the
  business who are less concientious. I would ask you and your contributors to
  find me a business where that isn't the case. I can recall some instances in
  the business where I have watched employees work to the bone at ridiculously
  anti-social hours when an issue with the dialler, TPS filter or a particular
  staff member arises that may cause distress to a member of the general
  public. What you and your commentators are striving for is a system that is
  absolutely perfect and caters exactly to your particular lifestyles and
  opinions - and that, I'm afraid, isn't life. Why not try being open minded
  and allow for the fact that many others actually like to be notified about
  new products and services and frequently take advantage of the calls they
  receive. 

26/6/07

• "S" gives some insight as to LBM's practices, and that they may not always really be representing who they say they are:
  My wife got a call from 'Michael' at LBM ringing "on behalf of Lloyds
  TSB Insurance".
  (Funnily enough we are with Lloyds TSB Insurance).
  However I had checked the 0800 number out before, after a silent call,
  and my wife also by a weird co-incidence already had an appointment
  booked with the manager at her branch.
  
  So she told 'Michael' that ,
  A] She doesn't do financial business over the phone
  B] She had an appointment with the bank this week.
  
  CLICK brrrrrr
  Went the phone.
  
  Today my wife went for her appointment at the bank. She promptly told
  the manager about this call, in fact she told the manager that she was
  disgusted that LBM were being sub-contracted by the bank.
  
  The manager was amazed at the phone call, and stated after phoning and
  checking with higher ups in the bank, that Lloyds TSB were NOT using LBM
  for any of there business. In fact Lloyds TSB do NOT cold call customers
  to do business over the phone. They will call customers to advise them
  that it is time for a review of there business with the bank and make
  appointments over the phone. But all business takes place face to face.
  
  The manager also told my wife that an investigation is now being
  launched as to how Lloyds TSB information has reached LBM.
  
  Apparently they are also ringing people claiming to represent ,
  Clydesdale, Royal Bank of Scotland and Halifax Bank of Scotland.
  
  You've been warned :-)) 

27/6/07

• "N" tips us off with another number:
  Hi just wanted to add another number used by LBM to your list, yesterday i received no less than 10 calls from number:
  
  0800 9524854
  
  First time it rang i answered and it went silent. I called the number back to receive the same message as everyone else regarding calling back an 0845 number, but i thought better of it and never called it.
  
  This is the first time this has happened to me. I received a further seven calls that went silent when i picked up, two i left to ring out, the tenth and final call i attempted to answer. This time i received an answer, the lady said she worked for Orange and would like to offer me a deal on a mobile phone - I declined.
  
  I am glad i came accross this website, and i am disgusted that this so called company (LBM) acts in such a manner. 
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